San Antonio man sentenced to life in prison without...

1of9The grandmother of the victim, left, is hugged by a family friend, right, after Isaac Andrew Cardenas was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court on Oct. 26, 2018. The punishment came after a jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-month-old girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News

2of9Isaac Andrew Cardenas listens to a victim’s impact statement by the victim’s grandmother after he is sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court on Oct. 26, 2018. The punishment came after a jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-month-old girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News

3of9Isaac Andrew Cardenas is sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court on Oct. 26, 2018. A jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-month-old girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News

4of9The grandmother of the victim, right, spoke at the sentencing of Isaac Andrew Cardenas, who was given two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court on Oct. 26, 2018. A jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-month-old girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News

5of9The grandmother of the sexual assault victim, background, wipes away tears as she gives her victim impact statement after Isaac Andrew Cardenas was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. The punishment came after a jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month on four counts of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-monthold girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

6of9The grandmother of the victim, background, expresses her emotions as she gives her victim impact statement after Isaac Andrew Cardenas was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court on Oct. 26, 2018. The punishment came after a jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-month old girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

7of9Isaac Andrew Cardenas is taken from the courtroom after Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court sentenced him two concurrent life sentences without parole by on Oct. 26, 2018. The punishment came after a jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month of four counts of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-month-old girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

8of9Isaac Andrew Cardenas is sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen (pictured) in 437th State District Court on Oct. 26, 2018. A jury had found Cardenas guilty earlier this month on four counts of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-month-old girl. Cardenas was sentenced on two of the counts.Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

9of9Isaac Andrew Cardenas is sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen in 437th State District Court on Oct. 26, 2018. A jury last month found Cardenas guilty of super aggravated sexual assault of a 21-monthold girl.Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

A San Antonio man was sentenced to life in prison without parole for sexually assaulting a toddler whose mother tried to explain away the child’s severe injuries as a dog attack.

Visiting Judge Philip Kazen sentenced Isaac Andrew Cardenas, 25, to life in prison without parole on two charges of super aggravated sexual assault of a child. The sentences will be served at the same time.

The child’s family cried and embraced after Kazen announced the sentence. Afterward, the child’s grandmother gave an emotional victim’s impact statement directed at Cardenas.

“She was just an innocent baby,” she said through tears. “She couldn’t even fight back.”

She told Cardenas he will meet his maker, who will inflict “the ultimate punishment for eternity.”

Much of her statement was inaudible as she fought back tears. Cardenas appeared emotionless as she spoke.

Crystal Herrera, 24, the child’s mother, faces one count of injury to a child by omission. Herrera is out on bail and is awaiting trial. She faces a maximum of life in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

According to authorities, Herrera called 911 on Dec. 31, 2016, to report that dogs had viciously attacked her daughter, who at the time was 21 months old. Herrera told Bexar County sheriff’s deputies that the child had wandered away from their home in South Bexar County.

The girl was taken to University Hospital for treatment of numerous sharp injuries to her genital and anal areas.

On Friday, prosecutor Leo Gonzalez told the judge that he believed that Cardenas should receive life in prison without parole based on the severity of the crime and the effect the case has had on everyone involved — from jurors to law enforcement, medical personnel to investigators.

He said the young victim will be impaired by her injuries for the rest of her life. It’s possible she will have emotional flashbacks and may never be able to have children.

Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice enterprise reporter for the San Antonio Express-News, delving into homicides, police-community relations, officer-involved shootings, capital punishment and officer misconduct. Previously, Emilie worked for two years at The Cincinnati Enquirer covering child poverty, business and breaking news.

Her work has been honored in the Hearst National Journalism Awards and the Society of Professional Journalist’s Region 11 Awards, among others. In 2015, she was one of 30 students, out of 1,150 nationally, selected to participate in the Hearst 55th Annual National Journalism Awards Championship. Her work has been published by USA Today, NBCNews.com and The Center for Public Integrity, among others.

A native Californian, Emilie attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University, where she graduated magna cum laude and was the school's commencement speaker.